Rail-joint.



0. JQHNSON.

RAILJOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.5, 1914.

LII @39ML y Patented .my 14, 1914 ,NFEED STATES onor` .ioirivsorrgV oniIUDsoN, WISCONSIN.

incassi..

Spegi'cation of Letters Patent.

ratentea .iaiy ir., reir.

l i Application filled January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,465.

To all whom it may concer Be it known that I, OLor J HNsoN, a subject of the King of Sweden, and/are ent of the city of Hudson, county of' St. "roiX, and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specilication. 1,/ j

My invention relates'to improvements in rail joints and has for its object the production of a rail joint which will be so constructed as to permit of relative'longitudinal movement of the abutting rails in order to allow for expansion or contraction such as occurs during changes in temperature. f

A further object is the production of a' rail joint which vvill prevent sagging at the abutting ends of the rails and thereby obviate -the jolting and pounding of railway cars such as is incidental to the sagging of the rail ends as mentioned.

A still further object is the production of a rail joint which generally will be strong and durable and of economical construction.

' Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying `.drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1v is a perspective view of a rail joint embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken on substantially line .v0-w of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of one of the rail ends, the sectional portion illustrating the connection between the rail and the chair in which the sanie is mounted, Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rail end shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the kcy and eotter pin which cooperates therewith' in loosely connecting one ofthe rail ends with the chair of the device.

-The preferred form of. construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises a pair of abutting rails 1 and 2, theouter ends ot said rails being of the usual form and design, the same being provided with spaced openings as shown in order to permit of the connection .thereof with the usual rail sections in the construction of a railway track. The inner or abutting ends of the rails 1 and 2 are beveled or tapered as at 3 and overlapped, this construction, when the rail joint Iis in use, eliminating the break in the tread A of a rail which results where the abutting ends of the rails are disposed at right angles to the length of the rail. Said ends of said rails are ot increased thickness as shown in order to reinforce the same and thereby prevent sagging. To further prevent sag ging the abutting rail ends are mounted in a snugly tit-ting chair 4, the latter being ot' channel form in cross section and designed to snugly embrace the base ot said rail ends,

the sides or upwardly extending flanges 5 l and G of said chair fitting closely against the sides of said rails as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At the respective ends of the chair 4 are provided laterallyprojecting perforated ears 7 adapted to accommodate secur'- ing screws or bolts 8 whereby said chair is rigidly secured to the ties 9. The rail 2 is rigidly secured to the corresponding end of chair 4 by means of bolts 10 and cooperating nuts 11, said bolts 10 passing through transversely extending openings provided in said rail and registering openings provided in the side 6 of the chair as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The rail 1'is connected with the opposite end of chair 4 by means of a vertically extending key 12 which passes through alining openings provided in the base of said chair, engaging also with a slot or notch 13 provided in the correspond pin 14 coperates with said key to releasably lock the same in operative positiomsaid pin being adapted to releasably engagev `a slot 15 provided in the lower end ot said' key as shown. The slot 13 is of a length greater 5/ than the corresponding dimension ot thev key 12 in order to permit of limited relative longitudinal movement of the rail 1 and allow for expansion or contract-ion of the same during changes in temperature, it being known that in. cold weather the rails contract and in warm weather the same ex pand. This expansionfand contraction must be compensated for otherwise buckling of tho rails or spreading of the joints results which not infrequently leads to disaster. With the present arrangement this expansion and contraction in. the rails is permitted while at the same time the rails are securely fastened together and lield-in alinement.

While I haveillustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of 'variation :md modification Without departl pair of Jhuttiog rails; n chair in which seid rail ends are mounted; :L rigid connection hetfweeii one of seid rails :ind one end oi seid Chair; :L eonneetioo between the other of said `mils und the other end of said chair ilmmitting of limited relative longitudinal moveni'ignt of seid parts, .said lust mentioned txninoctiou Comprising i vertically eXtending hey removably inserted in the bose pon tion of said Chair engaging a slot j irovided in one edge of the base of said rari-l end, seid Slot heilig of e length greater than the oorending dimension of seid key; and o in through said hey locking the lat- Treir, substantially es described 2. In L rail joint, the combination of a pair oi abutting rails having base flanges thereon, vthere being a slot in one of the flanges of one of said rails; a chair disposed under the ends of said rail and having its longitudinal edge portions extendingaround seid flanges L1nd. upwardly on the sides of said rails, one of said edge portions reaching higher thn said other edge portion; bolts passing through the higher of said edge portions and one of said rails rigidly securing the latter to said chair; 'a key passing vertically through said Chair adjacent its lower edge portion .and seid slot adjustzibly securing the rail provided with seid slot to Seid chair; und e 'Cotter pin locking seid hey in position, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my neme tot-his specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

@LOF JQHNSON. Witnesses DAN RENsTRoM, ERIK RENSTROM.. 

